Late general's wealth probed

Wed, 28 Mar 2001 | Source: AP

BANGKOK (AP): The government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra bowed to public pressure on Tuesday and agreed to set up a committee to investigate sources of the wealth of a deceased general who reportedly left a 6 billion baht (US$135 million) estate.

Thaksin acknowledged a friendship with Gen. Sunthorn Kongsompong, who died in 1999, but denied any wrongdoing.

If close ties become the basis for suspicion, he added, everyone in the country could be considered corrupt.

Newspapers have been speculating about whether Thaksin, who made a vast fortune in the telecommunications sector, profited from his relationship with Sunthorn.

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